1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for use in residential and commercial waste conduit maintenance systems and procedures. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method that provides occupants or maintenance engineers of residential and commercial buildings, e.g., homeowner, superintendent, etc., with early detection and advanced warning of waste backing up in a main waste line before the waste spills over into the lowest level of the building.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buildings which are meant to be occupied or inhabited, are designed and built with indoor plumbing systems. These plumbing systems allow waste which is generated within the buildings to be removed from the buildings and hence allow for the clean, safe and sanitary habitation or occupation of the building.
As the waste is generated at various points within the building, e.g. sinks, toilets, dishwashers, bathtubs, washing machines, etc., it flows through pipe branch lines within the building. These pipe branch lines are connected to secondary pipe branch lines which in turn feed into a main waste line, usually at the lower level of the building. The waste leaves the point it is generated at, travels downwardly through the pipe branch lines and eventually is transported through the main waste line out of the building and into a cesspool, septic tank, or a public sewer system.
There are times, when instead of the waste traveling through the waste line and out of the building, it backs up right into the building's lowest level. This happens primarily as a result of the cesspool or septic tank becoming filled beyond capacity, causing the waste and the fluids associated with the waste to overflow and back up through the main waste line and into the lower level of the building. Or, in the alternative, it happens as a result of the main waste line becoming blocked anywhere close to the point where waste exits from the building.
Once the lower level, such as a basement, becomes flooded due to waste backing up as a result of a blockage in the building's main waste line, or a cesspool overflowing, the building's owner or superintendent will call their waste removal company or plumber to come, pump out and clean the basement. However, even if a plumber gets to the site in a timely fashion, a substantial amount of water and waste will have spilled into the building causing a destructive, costly and unsanitary flood within.
If the lowest levels of the building, such as basements or sub-basements are unfinished and waste backs up into them, then the damage, while serious, can be remedied. However, if the basement is finished and people live or work there, then the damage can be disastrous. Every year, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars are wasted and countless property is lost due to damage caused by waste backing up, as a result of blockages in buildings' main waste line.
People have tried to solve the problem of waste backing up and spilling into their buildings most commonly by installing an additional overflow cesspool. However in order to install an additional overflow cesspool, not only must one purchase the actual cesspool, one must also pay a contractor to both excavate the property and install the cesspool.
In order to excavate a large enough area, a contractor must use heavy machinery such as a backhoe or a front end loader. These are very large and powerful hydraulic powered machines. They weigh many tons and have large tractor tires. When operating, the tires spin independently of one another. Such spinning destroys lawns and creates mud bogs in wet conditions. This means that after the second cesspool is installed the building owners, as for example the homeowners, have to incur the further cost of tilling their lawn, re-seeding it, fertilizing it and even having to restore the landscaping. Thus, not only do they have to incur the cost of installing a new cesspool, they also have to incur the cost of returning the property to its original esthetic appearance.
The relevant and material prior art has failed to directly address both the problem of waste backing up and overflowing into the lower level of a building, as a result of septic tank overflow, and the unnecessary expense and problem of installing a second cesspool. While there is prior art that deals with the detection of rising sludge in building septic tanks, or with the monitoring of rising content levels in tanks, fuel tanks, vehicle cesspools, i.e., cesspools located on trucks and ships, none of them deal directly with the issue of waste backing up in the main waste line of buildings and the simultaneous alerting of the occupants before the waste overflows and spills into the lower level of the building. Specifically, in the prior art:                a. U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,752 is directed to the field of septic tanks and more particularly to a system of detecting high sludge levels and alerting the owner of the time to consider pumping the septic tank. It discloses a two stage alarm system for detecting the rising level of sludge in the septic tank and similar sedimentary tanks. The system, to detect a first or “caution” level, and a second or “critical” level of sludge, relies upon a pair of vertically positioned, and distanced apart weight sensitive switching mechanisms which, when triggered by the weight of the rising levels of sludge falling on them, will send appropriate signals to a remote alarm mechanism, such as at the residence, to activate a “yellow” and/or “red” light, for example, thus alerting the owner of the tank to the need for remedial action. It is designed to prevent clogging of piping that leads from the septic tank to an effluent disposal field for the septic tank contents. It does not disclose any system or process that alerts the owner of waste backing up in the main waste line of buildings as a result of the septic tank being full, or even more importantly as a result of a blockage in the waste line, before the waste actually overflows into the lowest level of the building. Nor does it disclose a waste management and alarm system installable into the existing plumbing of a construction, whether such construction is old or new or complete, without major reconstruction or implementation costs.        b. U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,911, is directed to water level indicators and more particularly relates to a water level indicator for use in automatically indicating the current water level in a cesspit. The water level indicator includes an expansible element which carries a sliding rod to move up and down relative to a fixed rod responsive to the change of water level in a cesspit. The sliding rod includes an electrical contact in the form of a pin. The pin slidably engages a resistive plate mounted to the fixed rod. The change in electrical resistance is indicative of the change of water level in the cesspit. It was designed to eliminate the necessity of regularly opening and checking the cesspit to determine if it still has empty space for receiving sewage, an action that was both unsavory and unsanitary. It discloses no system or process that alerts the owner of waste backing up in the main waste line of buildings as a result of the septic tank being full or even more importantly as a result of a blockage in the waste line, which can also cause an overflow.        c. U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,146 is also directed to waste level detectors for detecting the level of wastes in a vehicle cesspool. It includes a holder fixedly secured to a vehicle's cesspool by screws, an elongated probe extended downwards from the holder and disposed inside the cesspool, a float movable along the probe, a magnet fixedly secured to the float, a detecting circuit mounted inside the elongated probe to detect the elevation of the magnet, a perforated cylindrical casing having a top end threaded onto the outer thread on the holder and covered around the probe and a bottom end covered with a perforated end cap, and a cover covered on the holder above the cesspool. It was designed to eliminate the drawbacks of vehicle cesspool waste level detectors of that time, including the escape of bad waste smells through the waste level detectors' air vents and the jamming of solid particles which led to the improper functioning thereof. It too, does not disclose any system or process that alerts the owner or occupant of a building of waste backing up in the main waste line of buildings as a result of the septic tank being full, or even more importantly as a result of a blockage in the waste line, which can also cause an overflow.        d. U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,731 for a refined liquid level detector structure is also directed to waste level detectors for detecting the level of wastes in a vehicle cesspool. It includes a liquid level detecting element and a telescopic external casing, wherein the liquid level element includes a circuit device, a holder and a probe, and the probe and the circuit device are respectively set on opposite facets of the holder. Moreover, the telescopic external casing is assembled by plural tubes that are sleeved on each other, and each tube has inclined openings averagely mounted thereon. The length of the external casing can be adjusted to subject to that of the probe and the external casing can be fixedly secured to the holder to be an organic whole. Furthermore, when the liquid level detector is putted in a measuring trough for detecting, the length of the external casing can be adjusted to match with that of the trough. In addition, through the structure described above, foreign particles can be effectively stopped outside the external casing so that the liquid level detecting element can have a best performance. It was designed to allow the user to adjust the external casing to accommodate to a length of a probe, to protect the probe from foreign particles, and to provide, among other things, for a structure that could be matched with all kinds of probe-type liquid level detectors. It was not designed to alert the owner of waste backing up in the main waste line of buildings as a result of the septic tank being full, or even more importantly as a result of a blockage in the waste line, which can also cause an overflow.        e. U.S. Pat. No. 1,646,317 is directed to a simple liquid gauge adapted for use in connection with gasoline tanks. The object of this invention is to gauge the amount of gasoline within a storage tank. It employs a perforated elongated tubular member and a hollow float which rises and falls as the liquid in the tank increases or decreases.        f. U.S. Pat. No. 1,617,287 discloses an electric indicating instrument to be connected in circuit with a source of electricity. It includes an indicator adapted to be variably positioned under the influence of a magnetic force to indicate the quantity of liquid in a tank, by introducing or cutting out predetermined amounts of resistance from the circuit. The instrument is meant to be connected with or inserted in a liquid carrying tank and controlled by the quantity of liquid in the tank which influences the indicating instrument to indicate the quantity of liquid in the tank.        g. U.S. Pat. No. 2,510,633 discloses a liquid gauge which has a plurality of floats each with a sight rod of different length which is effective to indicate the level of the liquid throughout a portion of the depth of the tank. This gauge shows which rod is effectively indicating the level in the tank and can be mounted on the tank with an airtight connection.        h. U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,016 is a liquid level gauge which is placed on the exterior of a tank and indicates the level of liquid in the tank by rise and fall of a float.        i. U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,941 discloses a liquid level measuring apparatus, whereby the level of liquid in a tank or a boiler is determined initially by enclosing the liquid in a column and then sensing the liquid surface in the column by causing a plunger to pass through the non-liquid medium in the column above the liquid to the liquid surface and noting the abrupt change in descent rate of the plunger when it hits the liquid surface due to the great difference between the viscosities of the non-liquid and liquid mediums. The level of liquid in the boiler is reflected on a continuing basis by permitting the plunger to float or levitate in or on the liquid as it is supported by an entrapped gas bubble. The difference in the position of the plunger when it encounters the liquid surface and the position of the plunger thereafter, as it is supported on the liquid is the correction factor that is maintained steadily until pressure or temperature changes necessitate a new determination of that difference with a fresh gas bubble at the current temperature and pressure. In a steam boiler, the plunger is hollow, vented at the bottom and rides in a vertical open cylinder. When the plunger is empty of water, it can “levitate” in the cylinder with the bottom of the plunger at the water level and so, the plunger level indicates water level in the boiler. A magnetic coupled plunger lifting mechanism completely external of the boiler couples magnetically to the plunger for doing the following: lifting the plunger; following the plunger position; and controlling the degree of levitation. By the magnetic coupling, magnetic forces pass between the plunger to an exterior rod and the rod initiates a display of plunger position.        j. U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,311 is directed to a float switch assembly for a submersible pump. The assembly comprises a float rod with two spaced stops, a movable float carried by the rod which moves between the stops in response to fluid level, the rod being mounted in a vertical oriented position for movement upwardly and downwardly in response to float movement against the two spaced stops, a magnetic body carried at the upper end of the rod for movement therewith, a generally U-shaped magnetic follower element with two spaced, magnetically responsive arms on one side of the magnetic body, or two sets of arms disposed on either side of the magnetic body to provide a dual U-shaped arrangement, the follower element being rotatably mounted with the arms thereof in a generally horizontal position, one above the other for movement of the arms thereof upwardly and downwardly in a vertical plane, the arms and magnetic body being positioned relative to each other so as to dispose the magnetic body for movement from arm to arm to thereby allow proximity actuation of the follower by magnetic attraction between an arm and the magnetic body, electrical contact means carried by the follower element, and fixed electrical contact means adapted to make and break with the follower electrical contact means as the follower arms move downwardly and upwardly, respectively, in response to proximity actuation by the magnetic body as controlled by float movement against the stops on the rod.        k. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,042 is an apparatus for detecting leaks in fuel storage tanks. A float suspended in the tank liquid determines liquid levels and transmits the liquid level information via an infrared beam to a probe processor in the upper portion of the tank. The probe processor stores a plurality of level indications for subsequent uploading to an external computer which analyzes the level information to generate leakage rate information.        l. U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,942 is directed to a liquid level responsive apparatus which includes a tube having a lower terminal end immersed in the liquid in a container uncovered when the liquid level is below the terminal end for discharge of air from the tube, the tube having a small electric motor driven air pump supplying air thereto, the tube having a pressure tap connected to one side of a diaphragm for normally maintaining the diaphragm in one control position, the diaphragm being collapsible to another control position, the tube having a vent of predetermined size for limited venting of air from the tube while the diaphragm is maintained in its one control position. The diaphragm can control a micro-switch which in turn can control any desired operation such as shut-off of delivery. A plurality of tubes can be connected in parallel with their terminal ends in different liquid containers.        m. U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,244 consists of a fuel level indicator system, which includes a housing member that is culpable to a fuel tank. The housing member is positionably adjacent to a vent opening in the fuel tank. The housing member defines an interior space. The housing member has a lower aperture facilitating environmental communication between the interior space and an interior of the fuel tank. The housing member has an upper aperture. A vent portion is coupled to the housing. The vent portion is in environmental communication with the interior space of the housing member via the upper aperture. The vent portion facilitates air flow from the interior of the fuel tank through the housing and out of the system. A whistle assembly is positioned substantially within the housing. The whistle assembly produces an aural indication of airflow through the housing member.        n. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,047 is directed to a water level sensing probe having a probe body, a protective sleeve, and an external housing. The body contains a detector board that partially protrudes from its bottom and a logic board that partially protrudes from its top. The detector board senses the level of electrically conductive fluid and transmits an indication of that level to the logic board that controls the operation and partially processes the data in response to commands received through a cable. The detector board is protected by the protective sleeve while the logic board is enclosed in the external housing. The probe is used by positioning on the bottom of a fluid containing tank or other vessel. Water at the bottom of the tank forms a bridging contact between a ground plane and a number of traces on the detector board proportional to the level of the water. The detector board then sends an electrical signal to the logic board which partially processes the signal and sends outside the probe for additional processing        o. U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,849 is directed to a sensor that detects tank or vessel leakage. It consists of a water level probe comprised of a probe body, a sleeve having openings permitting fluid flow and encasing part of a magnetostrictive sensor, and an external housing encasing electronic circuitry for processing and transmitting the electric signal generated by the magnetostrictive sensor and sealing the circuitry from fluids. The sensor comprises a float slidably mounted on a rod, the float designed to float in water but sink in a petroleum product, thereby ensuring that it will float at the interface between the water and the product. The water level probe is used in the method of the invention to measure the depth of the water in a vessel storing hydrocarbon product at predetermined time intervals. The longitudinal angle of inclination of the vessel with respect of the horizon having previously been determined, the volume of water in the vessel is calculated from the depth measurements. The rate of hydrocarbon leakage is then determined from the calculated volumes to ascertain the rate of change of water volume over time.        
It is clear from the above that none of the prior art discloses any system or process that alerts the occupants, or building maintenance engineers, or home owners that waste is backing up in the main waste line of their building as a result of the septic tank or cesspool being full, or even more importantly as a result of a blockage in the waste line; before the waste actually overflows into the lowest level of the building. Nor does such prior art disclose a waste management and alarm system installable without major reconstruction or implementation costs, into the existing plumbing of a construction, whether such construction is old, new, complete, or incomplete.
Furthermore, none of these prior art devices are useful, within the context of overflowing cesspools or main waste lines as all of them must be easily viewed or studied. This means that the cesspool tank or vessel to which they are attached must be above ground. That is totally against code. Or if they are assembled on tanks that are underground they need to be provided with means for easily viewing them.
In addition, because many of the prior art gauges are designed to work on boilers or fuel tanks, they can only work if they sense a differential in viscosities or in densities. Cesspools do not have a differential of either viscosity or density thereby rendering these gauges inapplicable. Finally, none of these gauges can be used in line in a waste line, main or otherwise, because the nature of their structure itself will create a blockage or an obstruction in a the waste line. Such obstruction will hinder the flow of waste, thereby initiating a blockage and causing a flood; the very flood that they are supposed to prevent.
Accordingly, there is clearly a need for a method and apparatus that can address the problem of waste backing up and overflowing into the lower level of a building as a result of (i) septic tank overflow; (ii) cesspool overflow; (iii) waste line blockage; or (iv) sewer blockage and backup, before the waste actually backs up and spills all over to cause damage and destruction. Without such apparatus and method, buildings will continue to be exposed to the damage caused by overflowing, backed-up waste and occupants and insurers will continue to deal with the costs of rectifying such damage. Such apparatus and method need to be easily installable into existing plumbing systems of various constructions, without great costs or tremendous expertise, irrespective of whether the construction is old, new, complete or incomplete, thereby providing the occupants and owners of the buildings with a clear advantage in connection with the maintenance of both their waste management conduits and by extension, their buildings.